Mission of the Role
This role exists because the consultancy has no dedicated QA function yet. Its first job is to make a specific, high-stakes rebuild safe: a VC-backed, pre-launch HR/benefits SaaS product is going from prototype to commercial launch in about six months, and every change to the business logic the client trusts needs evidence that nothing broke. The QA Engineer is responsible for building confidence in every release through effective testing, automation, and a growing regression strategy. This role offers the opportunity to gradually take ownership of QA processes and help shape the department’s QA practice over time.
Key Outcomes (3–12 Months)
Regression strategy established and continuously improved — a defined, evidence-based regression approach is running for the first project, covering the trusted business logic being restructured
Automation integrated into CI — Playwright + TypeScript test automation is built and running as part of the CI pipeline
Payment surface covered — API and webhook testing covers Stripe ACH and credit-card flows — payment states, failures, and reconciliation
Release readiness trusted — the team and client rely on this person’s quality gates and reporting to know when something is ready to ship
QA practice extended — groundwork is laid to bring QA practice to other projects across the department’s portfolio, beyond the first assignment
Primary Responsibilities
Regression & Test Strategy
Help define and continuously improve the regression strategy.
Test planning from business requirements, not just tickets
Flag untestable requirements to the PM and Tech Lead before they become untestable code
Automation & API Testing
Build test automation in Playwright + TypeScript, integrated into CI
Drive API and webhook testing on the highest-risk surface: payment integrations
Manual & Exploratory Testing
Run persona-based manual and exploratory testing across three user portals
Cover payment flows and edge cases automation won’t catch
Support client UAT sessions directly
Quality Ownership & Practice-Building
Help establish quality gates and provide clear release readiness reporting
Use AI throughout testing work, and help decide which AI QA tooling the department adopts
Contribute to growing QA practices across the department as new projects are onboarded
Competencies
Balanced QA mindset — confident in both manual and automation testing, with automation viewed as a natural extension of strong testing fundamentals
Comfortable working independently and taking increasing ownership of quality
Business-value focused — tests against user value and real requirements, not just acceptance criteria as written
Self-managed under uneven load — handles a fractional, back-loaded schedule without needing constant oversight
Experience & Requirements
Must-Have
Strong manual and exploratory testing skills, complemented by hands-on automation experience
Playwright + TypeScript, or a modern equivalent with willingness to standardize on Playwright
API testing experience (REST, webhooks)
Uses AI tools as part of daily QA work and is interested in adopting new approaches
Understands business requirements and tests for user value, not just acceptance criteria
Experience working both independently and as part of an established QA team, with an understanding of what good QA processes look like
English B2 or higher — client-facing UAT, written bug reports and documentation
Nice-to-Have
C# test code experience (the first project is .NET)
CI/CD test integration (GitHub Actions / Azure DevOps)
Payment or fintech domain testing experience
Performance or accessibility testing
Interest in helping establish QA practices and standards
Why This Role Is Worth Your Time
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys taking ownership and wants to grow beyond hands-on testing. You’ll have the opportunity to shape QA practices, gradually expand your responsibilities, and grow together with the de
